European developments September 2016

The European Commission has set out  a new ambition for broadband (also see this fact sheet), setting out its vision for a European gigabit society: by 2025 all European households should be able to access broadband services offering a minimum of 100Mbit/s with potential for upgrade to gigabit speeds. All main socio-economic drivers (schools, universities, public services, healthcare, enterprises) should be able to access gigabit services. All urban areas and major roads and railways should have uninterrupted 5G coverage, with 5G to be commercially available in at least one major city in each EU Member State by 2020.

Progress towards these targets will be facilitated by modernisation of the current EU Electronic Communications Code. This will help to stimulate the investment and competition needed to build the infrastructure needed to deliver the Commission’s targets. The Commission also set out proposals for  WiFi4EU, a new initiative to provide free WiFi in and around public buildings and spaces with an initial budget of €120 million to support equipment and installation costs, along with a new 5G Action Plan to coordinate and encourage 5G development and deployment across the EU. See commentary from Out-Law and a response from ETNO, the European Telecommunications Network Operators' Association, welcoming the announcements.

Other European news this month:

• The European Commission published a new Eurobarometer survey showing how 15 to 45 year olds use the internet to access music, films, TV series, images and news.
• The European Commission announced  further action to stimulate the deployment and support of European Digital Service Infrastructures (DSIs) in Europe by launching two sets of calls for proposals for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) supported with more than €28 million. Proposals are invited in the areas of automated translation, cyber security, eInvoicing and showcasing the cultural treasures of Europe on the Europeana platform.